In-floor slide-out room support system

ABSTRACT

A slide-out room ( 12 ) support system ( 28 ) for a recreational vehicle ( 10 ) has outer C-shaped rails ( 34 ) received at least partially within the thickness of the floor ( 64 ) with the slot of the C-shape opening downwardly. A fixed support ( 30 ) extends up through the slot and mounts four rollers ( 38 ), two on each side, which extend into the space between the top wall ( 42 ) of the rail ( 34 ) and the flanges ( 40 ) so as to support the rail ( 34 ) generally horizontal and relieve much of the weight of the slide-out room ( 12 ) from being borne by the stationary floor of the recreational vehicle ( 10 ). A lead screw ( 46 ) that moves longitudinally with the rail ( 34 ) drives it in and out, and a rack ( 60, 70 ) and pinion ( 62, 68 ) system synchronizes the movement of the rails ( 34 ) when two or more rails ( 34 ) are provided. The lead screw ( 46 ), or alternatively the rack ( 60, 70 ) and pinion ( 62, 68 ) system, may be manually or electrically driven.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

[0001] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional PatentApplication No. 60/177,562 filed Jan. 21, 2000.

STATEMENT CONCERNING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

[0002] Not applicable.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0003] 1. Field of the Invention

[0004] This invention relates to slide-out support systems forrecreational vehicles (“RVs”) such as trailers and motor homes and inparticular to a slide-out support system in which movable support beamsare relatively thin so that the support system is low profile, so thebeams can fit into grooves in the floor or between the stationary floorand the movable floor when the movable floor is retracted.

[0005] 2. Discussion of the Prior Art

[0006] In the support systems for slide-out rooms of RVs the space underthe slide-out room is sometimes very limited. Since the support systemmust be rigid so as to extend and retract a room and support it whileextended, the limitation on space presents a challenge to make thesupport system sufficiently rigid.

[0007] In addition, in prior systems the movable floor slid or hadrollers which rolled on top of the stationary floor during extension andretraction. Over time, this would wear on or mar the stationary floor.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0008] The present invention provides a slide-out support system inwhich rails of the system are moved relative to stationary frames whichsupport the rails, and the rails partially or wholly fit within thethickness of the floor. For this purpose, the floor may be grooved inthe bottom so as to receive the slide-out beams. Thereby, a low profilesystem is provided in which the telescoping rails require little, ifany, room under the floor.

[0009] In a preferred form, a lead screw is journalled and axially fixedrelative to one of the slide-out beams so as to move longitudinally withthe rail. As the lead screw is turned, either manually or by a motor, itcauses the beam to extend or retract, depending upon the direction thescrew is turned. Also fixed to the beam may be a linear gear rack, whichmeshes with a pinion gear that drives a shaft which extends laterallyand mounts at its laterally opposite end another pinion gear. Thispinion gear is in meshing engagement with another gear rack which isfixed to another slide-out rail so that both slide-out rails extend orretract together.

[0010] In addition, the fixed support preferably supports the rail sothat it cannot pivot about a lateral axis, i.e. a horizontal axis whichis perpendicular to the longitudinal direction. This relieves some orall of the weight of the slide-out room from being borne by thestationary floor, to reduce or eliminate marring of the stationaryfloor.

[0011] The foregoing and other objects and advantages of the inventionwill appear in the detailed description which follows. In thedescription, reference is made to the accompanying drawings whichillustrate a preferred embodiment of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0012]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a vehicle with its slide-out roomretracted;

[0013]FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a vehicle with its slide-out roomextended;

[0014]FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a slide-out system of theinvention shown in a fully extended position;

[0015]FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view from the plane of the line 4-4 ofFIG. 3;

[0016]FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view from the plane of the line 5-5 ofFIG. 4;

[0017]FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view from the plane of the line 7-7 ofFIG. 5 with the system retracted;

[0018]FIG. 7 is a view similar to FIG. 6 with the system extended;

[0019]FIG. 8 is a detail fragmentary cross-sectional view showing theconnections of the two ends of the lead screw to the slide-out supportrail;

[0020]FIG. 9 is a top cross-sectional view similar to FIG. 4 showing analternate embodiment of the invention; and

[0021]FIG. 10 is a view similar to FIG. 4 showing another alternateembodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0022]FIG. 1 illustrates the side of an RV 10 with its slide-out room 12retracted. The slide-out room 12 has windows 18, an outer wall 16, andan outer bottom edge 20.

[0023]FIG. 2 illustrates the RV 10 with the slide-out room 12 extended.As illustrated, the slide-out room 12 also has end walls 14 and a topwall 22. Slide-out rooms, in general, are well known in the art and areused to expand the interior volume of the RV. As is w ell known,weatherproof seals are provided between the end walls 14, the top wall22, and the side wall of the RV, as well as sometimes between the floor64 (FIG. 3) of the slide-out room 12 and the stationary floor 65 of theRV to prevent wind, rain, dirt, and insects from entering the RV.

[0024]FIG. 3 illustrates a slide-out support system 28 of the invention,which is mounted to the frame of the RV under the slide-out room 12.Inner fixed support frames 30 of the system are welded or otherwisefixedly attached to beams 32 of the frame of the RV. The frame members32 run longitudinally relative to the RV, so that the outer rails 34extend and retract laterally, in the same direction that the slide-outroom 12 extends and retracts. Inner fixed support rails 30 are U-shapedchannels that are generally open at the top, and outer rails 34 areC-shaped, having a top wall 42, side walls and flanges 40 extendinginwardly with inward edges 42 defining the slot of the C-shape, with theslot opening downwardly at the bottom of the rail 34. As shown in FIG.3, each rail 34 is received in a laterally running groove 35 in thebottom of the floor 64, which groove is just large enough to receive therespective rail 34. Each rail 34 may be wholly or partially received inthe groove 35, depending on the depth of the groove. Thus, when themovable floor 64 is retracted, the rails 34 and screw 46 are between themovable floor 64 and the stationary floor 65, and the movable floor 64is supported above the stationary floor, or at least much of the weightof the slideout room is relieved from being supported by the stationaryfloor 65, to reduce wear of the stationary floor 65.

[0025] As shown in FIG. 3, each inner fixed support frame 30 mounts fourrollers 38, one at each upper corner, and the rollers 38 can rotateabout longitudinal axes. The rollers 38 are received in the spacebetween flanges 40 of the rails 34 and the top walls 42 of the rails 34.Each inner frame 30 is received in the space between the flanges 40 ofthe respective rail 34. At the interface between the edges 42 and theopposite sides of each inner frame 30, nylon or other lubricious plasticwear strips can be provided, which also help lateral alignment of therails 34 as they are extended and retracted. Such wear strips or padscan also be provided on the outer ends of the axle posts which mount therollers 38 to slide against the inside surface of the sidewalls of therails 34.

[0026] As stated above, the rails 34 are fixed to the slide-out room 12.The rails 34 are retracted with the floor 64 of the slide-out room 12over the stationary floor of the RV, supporting the weight of theslide-out room in the retracted position. As stated above, an advantageis that scuffing of the stationary floor by the movable floor 64 isreduced since the rails 34 support the floor 64 up over the stationaryfloor in the retracted position and while the room 12 is being retractedand extended. This differs from prior art constructions in which themovable rails were only attached to the room at the outer side of theroom and the slide-out floor simply road up over the stationary floorduring retraction and extension.

[0027] Referring to FIGS. 4-8, the system of FIG. 3 is driven extendedand retracted by a manually turned lead screw 46. Handle 44 may be usedto turn the lead screw 46. The lead screw 46 is threaded into a nut 48which is welded or otherwise fixedly attached to the inner frame 30which the lead screw 46 extends through. Members 50 and 52 are welded tothe rail 34 and the lead screw 46 extends through holes in the members50 and 52. Sleeves 54 and 58 are received over the ends of the screw 46and pinned thereto by pins 80 with thrust bearings 82, which may beroller bearings as shown, journal bearings, or bushings, between therespective end hub 54 and 58 and wall 50 and 52. Thus, when the screw 46is turned, it moves axially relative to the nut 48, and carries the rail34 to which it is affixed by walls 50 and 52 with it.

[0028] The rail 34 on the opposite side of the room must also be drivensynchronously with the rail 34, which is attached to the lead screw 46,and for this a rack and pinion drive is provided. Gear rack 60, havinggear teeth at the bottom of a beam, is welded or otherwise attached tothe rail 34 which is attached to the screw 46, and a pinion 62 mesheswith the gear rack 60. Pinion 62 is journalled by the inner rail 30which houses it and turns with shaft 66 which has at its opposite end apinion 68 which is journalled by the opposite inner frame 30. Pinion 68meshes with rack 70 which is welded or otherwise attached to the rail 34which is driven by the pinion 68.

[0029]FIG. 9 illustrates a variation which lacks the lead screw 46 andassociated structures and drives both rails 34 with a rack and piniondrive which is driven by a motor 84.

[0030]FIG. 10 illustrates another variation which is similar to FIG. 4but in which the lead screw 46 is driven by a motor 86 which would bemounted to the adjacent rail 34.

[0031] Many modifications and variations to the preferred embodimentsdescribed will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Therefore, theinvention should not be limited to the embodiments described.

I claim:
 1. In a support system for expanding and retracting a slide-outroom of a recreational vehicle, said room having a floor which in anexpanded position of the room is at substantially the same level as astationary floor of the vehicle and in a retracted position of the roomis above the stationary floor of the vehicle, said support systemincluding one or more extendable and retractable rails fixed to the roomfor expanding and retracting the room, rollers for supporting the railsrelative to a fixed support and a drive system for moving the rails inand out, the improvement wherein each said rail fits at least partiallywithin the thickness of a floor of said room, wherein each said has atop wall which is generally parallel to said floor of said room, atleast one side wall depending from the top wall, and at least one flangeextending inwardly from the side wall spaced from and generally parallelto the top wall, said flange having an inner edge with a space adjacentthe inner edge so as to define a slot adjacent the inner edge, and saidfixed support extends upwardly through said slot and mounts rollerswhich roll between said top wall and said flange inside of said rail. 2.The improvement of claim 1, wherein said floor of said room has a groovein which said rail is received.
 3. The improvement of claim 2, whereineach said rail is C-shaped having spaced apart side walls depending fromsaid top wall and having flanges spaced from and generally parallel tosaid top wall with spaced inner edges defining said slot.
 4. Theimprovement of claim 3, wherein a gear rack having gear teeth whichextend generally parallel to said rail extends up through said slot andis affixed to said rail.
 5. The improvement of claim 4, wherein saidgear rack is affixed to said top wall inside said rail.
 6. Theimprovement of claim 5, wherein said teeth of said gear rack mesh with agear which is below said rail.
 7. The improvement of claim 6, wherein atleast two of said rails as claimed in claim 5 are provided, and in whichthe gear associated with each said rail is connected by a shaft to thegear of the other said rail so that said gears turn in unison.
 8. Theimprovement of claim 7, wherein said shaft is driven by an electricmotor.
 9. The improvement of claim 7, wherein said rails are extendedand retracted by a lead screw.
 10. The improvement of claim 9, whereinsaid lead screw is manually driven.
 11. The improvement of claim 9,wherein said lead screw moves longitudinally in or out with said rails.12. In a support system for expanding and retracting a slide-out room ofa recreational vehicle, said room having a floor which in an expandedposition of the room is at substantially the same level as a stationaryfloor of the vehicle and in a retracted position of the room is abovethe stationary floor of the vehicle, said support system including oneor more extendable and retractable rails fixed to the room for expandingand retracting the room, rollers for supporting the rails relative to afixed support and a drive system for moving the rails in and out, theimprovement wherein each said rail fits at least partially within thethickness of a floor of said room and said rail is driven by a leadscrew that moves longitudinally with said rail.
 13. In a support systemfor expanding and retracting a slide-out room of a recreational vehicle,said room having a floor which in an expanded position of the room is atsubstantially the same level as a stationary floor of the vehicle and ina retracted position of the room is above the stationary floor of thevehicle, said support system including one or more extendable andretractable rails fixed to the room for expanding and retracting theroom, rollers for supporting the rails relative to a fixed support and adrive system for moving the rails in and out, the improvement whereineach said rail fits at least partially within the thickness of a floorof said room and said fixed support supports said rail on rollers thatare longitudinally spaced apart so as to restrain said rail frompivoting about a lateral horizontal axis an maintain a floor of saidroom generally horizontal, wherein each said rail is C-shaped, having atop wall which is generally parallel to said floor of said room, spacedside walls depending from the top wall, and flanges extending inwardlyfrom the side walls spaced from and generally parallel to the top wall,each flange having an inner edge spaced from the inner edge of the otherflange so as to define a slot between said edges through which saidfixed support extends upwardly, wherein said rollers extend outwardlyfrom said fixed support and roll between said top wall and said flangesinside of said rail.
 14. The improvement of claim 13, wherein each saidrail is an outer beam.